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NFL Roundup: Saints lose Morgan to ACL, Bulaga facing knee surgery

Saints wide receiver Joe Morgan was in line for a far bigger role in the offense as the third receiver behind Marques Colston and Lance Moore this season -- until he suffered a knee injury during a scrimmage on Saturday that was confirmed to be season-ending meniscus and ACL tears on Wednesday.

The third-year player out of Walsh caught 10 passes for 379 yards and three touchdowns in 2012 -- averaging 37.9 yards per reception while emerging as a new deep threat for quarterback Drew Brees.

Suddenly, the Saints' somewhat thin wide receiver group is now bordering on razor-thin levels.

The team brought in veteran free agent Laurent Robinson for a workout and signed 29-year-old Steve Breaston, a one-time productive receiver for the Arizona Cardinals who finished last season on the game-day inactive list for the Kansas City Chiefs.

Morgan was enjoying a strong camp while atoning for a DUI in May that landed him in Stage 1 of the NFL's substance abuse program.

The Saints also announced that veteran defensive end Kenyon Coleman, who spent the past two seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, will have surgery for a torn pectoral muscle that probably will be season-ending.

---Longtime New York Jets guard Brandon Moore retired Wednesday after signing with the Dallas Cowboys the previous day, according to multiple reports.

Moore and the Cowboys had reached a deal on a one-year contract Tuesday night before his abrupt change of heart. He walked away from a $1.25 million salary, a $500,000 signing bonus and incentives.

The 33-year-old Moore would have rejoined former Jets offensive coordinator Bill Callahan, who now holds the same position with the Cowboys.

Moore spent 11 seasons with the Jets and started 142 of 144 games during his career. He had started every game since 2005 and was named to the Pro Bowl in 2011.

Bulaga and the Packers were hoping to find a way for him to play through the injury this season, but a second opinion from Dr. James Andrews confirmed that Bulaga needs an operation on his torn ACL.

That means the Packers are likely to place Bulaga on injured reserve, which will sideline him for the 2013 season. If the Packers believe Bulaga might be able to return this year, they could place him on short-term injured reserve.

The fourth-year pro suffered the injury during a training camp scrimmage on Saturday night but stayed on the field after it happened.

---Veteran safety Deon Grant is retiring as a member of the New York Giants after an 11-year NFL career with four teams.

Grant, 34, last played for the Giants in 2011. His final game was the Super Bowl XLVI victory over the New England Patriots.

Grant sat out the 2012 season because of shoulder, ankle and hand surgeries.

Grant began his career with the Carolina Panthers and also played for the Jacksonville Jaguars and Seattle Seahawks. In nine seasons with the three teams, he started all 144 regular-season and seven postseason games.

---The Chicago Bears have lost cornerback Kelvin Hayden for the season because a torn hamstring. Hayden will undergo surgery to repair the damage, the team announced. The eight-yar veteran had signed a one-year contract with the Bears during the offseason.

Hayden was used primarily as the Bears' nickel back last year. He had one interception and 37 tackles and started one game. Hayden was expected to see increased action this year.

The Bears also announced that wide receiver Earl Bennett will miss the preseason opener on Friday against the Carolina Panthers because of a concussion. Bennett has had two concussions in the past nine months.

---Wide receiver Charly Martin was claimed off waivers by the Jacksonville Jaguars on Wednesday. Martin, a 6-1, 212-pound pass catcher, had previously been placed on waivers by the San Francisco 49ers.

With the acquisition, the Jaguars' roster is now at the NFL-mandated maximum of 90 players.

Martin has played just 12 games in the NFL (with only one start) and has caught five passes for 48 yards. In addition to the 49ers, he also has spent time with the Chargers (signed as a rookie free agent in 2009) Panthers (played in eight games over parts of the 2009 and 2010 seasons), Seahawks (played in four games in 2012) and was on the Jaguars' practice squad for the final four weeks of the 2011 season.

Martin was waived by the Seahawks on July 12 and was claimed by San Francisco, which waived him less than a month later on August 6.